Engine



0. G. McMILLAN. ENGINE.

HPPLICATIUN FILED JAN. 27.1919- 1 ,3419,520. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEET S-SHEET I WITNESSES Attorney McMILLAN.

ENGINE.

, APPUCATION HLED 1AM. 21,19). 1 ,349, 520. Patented Allg- 10, 1920.

3 5HEETSSHEEI 3.

Attor UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filtd January 27, 1919. Serial No. 273,442.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Onvimm G. M0- MILLAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

and new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has reference to a novel construction of engines of therotary type and the principal object of the invention is to providemeans whereby the engine may be driven in either direction by a simplemanipulation of a valve member or said on gine may be stopped by'settingsaid member in a certain position.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic means foractuating the valve member during the operation of the engine in eitherdirection so as to properly control the inlet and outlet of steamtherefrom.

' The invention also consists in certain other :Eeatures of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the severalparts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawingsa'nd specifically pointedout in the ap ended claims.

describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein'like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views; andin which Figure 1is an end view or the invention;

' Figs 2 is a; side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 4 is a cross section; v a

Fig; 5 is a sectional detail showing the partsin a positiontb drive theengine in one direction; I v 6 is alikeview with the parts in a positronto drive the engine in an=opposite direction; f

F'g/F is a" like view' withthe parts in a pee tron to cut oil the steamfrom the ens e:

, Fig; 8 is an elevation of the valve me m er; I w

"Fi Ifitjis a part sectional view of said isa crosssection'thrriugh'said memes "Fig; new View arms sneer one of the valveeperatingnods with the parts detaclled Q siding; at Alpena, in thecounty of Jerauld' tatc of South Dakota, have invented Fig. 12 is a sideview of said rod;

Fig. 13 is a sectional View of the means for supporting the inner endsof said rods;

Fig. 14 is a front view of the supporting bracket for said rods;

Fig. 15 is an end view of the. guiding means for said rods;

Fig. 16 is a side view of such means.

In these views 1 indicates the base of the engine and 2 the cylinderthereof. At the upper part of the cylinder a steam chest 3 is formedwhich is provided with the inlet pipe 4. A valve chamber 5 is formed inthe wall. separating the chest from the interior of the cylinder. A pairof ports 6 and 7 lead from the chest to said chamber and a port 8 leadsfrom said chamber to the interior of the cylinder. An elongated port 9is formed in the upper wall of the cylinder and this port communicateswith the cylinder by the passage 10. A second elongated port 11 isformed in the wall of the cylinder and this port communicates with thevalve chamber by means of the passage 12. The ports 9 and 11 areconnected together by the pipe 13, which is outside the cylinder. A slot14 is formed in the upper part of the cylinder wall between the ports 9and 11 and said slot extends entirely through said wall and forms apassage for the sliding head 15. This head is carried by a rod 16passing through a packing gland 17.

p The valve 18 located in the valve chamber consists of the'cylindricalbody 19 and the stems 20 and 21 which pass through the end walls of thechamber. The cylindrical body 19 is divided into the inlet passage 22and the outlet port 28 by the substantially semicircular partition 24.The stem 21 is hollow and forms a continuation of the outlet port 23"and'this port is connected'with the outlet pipe 25. The cylindrical body19 is provided with a slot 26 which leads to the outlet port 23. Thebody is further provided with the inlet port 27 whichleads to thepassage 22 and is adapted to register with either one of the ports 6 and7. 28 and 29 are ports at the ends of the passage 22 and adapted toregister with the port 8 andthe passage 12. 30 is a -hand leverconnected with the stem20 of the valve and said lever has a part thereonengaging with the segment 31 whereby said everwill' be held in adjustedposition.

The piston eonsists of admin 32' and an abutment 34, suitably connectedwith the drum and having the packing members 33 therein. It will be seenthe end of the abutment engages with the internal walls of the cylinder.The drum is carried by a shaft 35, the spiders 36, and the ends of saidshaft pass through the ends of the cylinder and have keyed thereon thewheels 37. Each of these wheels carries a cam member 38, with whichengage rollers 39 journalcd on the ends of a yoke 40 which is secured tothe rod l6 which carries the sliding head. The yoke slidingly engagesthe guides 41 which are suitably supported from a stationary part of theengine. The cams are so arranged that the sliding head will be liftedjust before the abutment reaches said head and as soon as said abutmentpasses from under said head said head will be lowered with its endengaging the drum. This end is provided with the packing means 42.

The wall of the cylinder in which the sliding head and the ports 8 and10 are located is slightly sunken so as to permit the abutment to passwithout contacting with this part of the wall. The abutment has itswalls rounded so that if it should happen to strike the sliding head itwill force said head upwardly out of its way and thus prevent damage tothe parts. The walls of the drum immediately on each side of theabutment are slightly concaved, as at 43 so as to prevent the roundedend of the sliding head from striking the drum, as the drum turns underthe end of the head and engages said end as soon as the concaved part ismoved from under the head.

The means for automatically actuating the valve consists of a pair oflevers 44 and 45 of different length and having their inner endsconnected with rollers 46 which engage the cams 47 and 48 carried by theshafts 35. The outer end of either one of these levers are adapted to beconnected with the hand lever 30 by means of the socket 49 adjustablysecured to said lever 30 by means of the slot 50 therein. A spring 51holds the socketin engagement with the end of the lever as said springtends to pull the lever toward the cams. Each lever has a part 52pivoted to its inner end and this part carries the roller 46. This partis also provided with a projection 53. Each of these parts 52 are uidedin a bracket 54 secured to one en of the cylinder and springs 55 havetheir ends engaging a part of said bracket and the projections 53 so asto hold said parts with the rollers 46 out of contact with the cams whenthe levers are out of engagement with the hand lever 30. The outer ends01:. the levers 44 and 45 are guidedby means of the bracket 56, suitablysecured to the end of the cylinder and having guide ways 57 therein forsaid levers.

The levers are held in neutral position in said guide ways by thesprings 58. In this position the levers will not engage with the handlever 30. When it is desired to engage the levers with said hand leverit is simply necessary to move said levers sidewise against the springs58 to direct their ends into the socket 49.

When the engine is to be rotated in a forward direction the valve lever30 is placed in engagement with the lever 44. This will place the partsin the position shown in Fig. 5. The steam will pass from the chestthrough ports 6 and 27 into passage 22 through port 29 and port 8 intothe cylinder between the abutment and the sliding head. This will forcethe piston to travel in a counterclockwise direction as the pressure ofthe steam against the abutment will force the piston to rotate. After acertain amount of rotation of the parts the cam will be moved to bringits low part opposite the roller 46 so that the spring 51 will move thehandle 30 and the lever 44 toward the cam and thus move the valve toclose the inlet ports. As the slot 26 leading to the exhaust port is ofgreater width than the inlet ports the exhaust will still be open sothat the steam and air in front of said abutment will pass through thepassage 10 into port 9 and through the pipe 13 into port 11, through 12and the slot 26 into the exhaust port of the valve. As soon as theabutment reaches the sliding head said head will be raised by the cams,as before described, and as soon as said abutment passes from under saidhead the same will be lowered and the high part of the cam will againengage with the roller 46'to again move the valve to open the inlet portto the cylinder. This action will be kept up indefinitely. When theengine is to be driven in a reversed direction the handle 30 is placedin engagement with the long lever 45. In this position of the parts thesteam will pass from the valve into the port 11 and from this port itwill pass through the pipe 13 into port 9 and through passage 10 intothe cylinder between the abutment and the sliding head. In this case theex haust will be through the passage 8. into the exhaust port of thevalve. In this position of the valve the steam from the chest will passthrough port 7 into port 8 of the valve. When the engine is to bestopped the handle 30 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 7 withthe inlet ports cut oif so that. no steamissupplied to the cylinder. Inthis position however the exhaust port is still open so that the pistonwill graduallycome to a stop. If it is desired to stop the piston atonce the valve is moved to introduce steam in front of the same so thatthe piston must work against the pressure of the steam. This will stopthe. piston at once and if the steam is allowed to continue to flow intothe cylinder the piston will be forced to rotate in the opposltedirection.

In my apparatus the valve is balanced which relieves undue pressure ofthe valve against its seat. The valve is close to the cylinder so thatthere is little fall in temperature of the steam in passing from thevalve to the cylinder. Sudden changes in temperature are also eliminatedand the temperature remains uniform in any one place in the cylinder,thereby reducing heat losses. A greater range of expansion is providedfor and a greater range of speed for the same engine, under differentloads, may be obtained. All knocking is done away with and water in thesteam does not put undue strain on the cylinder or the cylinder head.The quick reverse is an important advantage as is also the neutralposition of the parts. The control is very simple and easy to operate.The small rollers standing clear of the hands when not in use willeliminate unnecessary noises. When necessary packing rings may be placedin the ends of the drum but in small engines these rings are notnecessary.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, providedthat such changes fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, What I claim is 1. An engine of theclass described comprising a cylinder having inlet and outlet ports, arotary piston in said cylinder, a sliding head cooperating with theiston, means for actuating said head, a va ve for controlling saidports, a hand lever connected with the valve for setting the same, alever adapted to be placed in engagement with the hand lever and meansfor actuating said lever by movement of the piston for autoniatimillyoperating the valve.

2. An engine of the class described comprising a cylinder having inletand outlet ports, a valve controlling said ports, a rotary piston insaid cylinder, a shaft connected with the piston, fly wheels on theshaft, cams carried by the shaft. a hand lever connected with the valvefor setting the same, a pair of levers actuated by the cams and adaptedto be placed in engagement with the hand lever for automaticallyoperating the valve a sliding head cooperating with the piston, a yokeconnected with said head and cams on the fly Wheel for actuating saidyoke.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

ORVILLE G. McMIL AN.

